Tornado rips roof off Conroe church_53104

Posted: 5/28/04

Tornado rips roof off Conroe church

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

CONROE–A tornado slammed RiverPointe Baptist Church, ripping off a large section of the sanctuary roof and damaging much of the facility's interior.

In about 90 seconds, the tornado tore off a 20-foot-by-30-foot section of the sanctuary roof and turned the inside of the building into a wind tunnel, said Pastor Dane Riddle, who was the only person in the church when the storm hit.

Winds bent a large portion of the building's metal frame, including the supports for a glass atrium. Tiles that created the ceiling were torn down in several rooms, corridors and the sanctuary. Walls were damaged.

Keith Crouch, director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas Church Facilities Center, visited the church, helped assess damages and advised leaders regarding steps in the rebuilding process. Ron Gunter, a BGCT regional associate, also was on site.

Riddle estimated the congregation will not be able to use the building for several months, and church services will be moved to a shopping center next door.

The relocation to the shopping center is a return to the church's roots, Riddle noted. The church did not have a permanent building for its first three years, until it moved into the now-damaged building about 18 months ago.

But church members remain upbeat, Riddle indicated. They recently have been working through Rick Warren's “Forty Days of Purpose” and just finished the section about the importance of strong fellowship.

“The spirit of the congregation has been wonderful,” he said.

The congregation has been able to share the Christian message of hope because of the tornado. Numerous media outlets interviewed Riddle in the days following the storm.

Riddle asked Texas Baptists to pray that the church continues to have a strong fellowship and makes wise decisions in the rebuilding process and that Christ will be glorified through the incident.